Dr. Blake Clifton is an orthopaedic surgeon fellowship trained (extra year
of specialty training) in adult and pediatric sports medicine. This means
that he specializes in minimally invasive and open procedures repairing
and reconstructing ligaments, cartilage, and bones of all the major joints
in the body. He regularly performs arthroscopic procedures of the knee,
shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ankle. Complex knee injuries including multiple
ligament tears involving the ACL, PCL, LCL, and MCL are just one of the
many things he has advanced training and experience with.
Not only is Dr. Clifton specially trained in adult sports medicine, but
he is the only orthopaedic surgeon in the Western Slope of Colorado that
is trained to treat sports injuries (ACL tears, meniscus injury, etc.)
in children with open growth plates. Many children can be treated without
surgery but if surgery is needed he performs minimally invasive repair
and reconstruction of ligaments, broken bones, etc in a way that won't
damage growth plates in children still growing.
He also has advanced training and specialization in joint replacement of
the shoulder, hip, and knee. This includes total joint replacement of
the joint surface or minimally invasive partial replacement and resurfacing
of the joint. Many joint replacements are done with a system custom made
for each patient. Dr. Clifton uses MRI and CT scans along with computer
guided technology to customize each patients surgical plan and instruments
before entering the operating room. This creates a unique precise fit
of the joint replacement for each individual patient.
Dr. Clifton earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from
Brigham Young University. While studying Exercise Science at BYU, he did
research associated with USA Track and Field (USATF) team athletes. His
work included analyzing techniques and providing Dart Fish training resources
to discus, shot put, and steeple chase athletes across the country. He
was also awarded the Congressional Honor Award while a student at BYU.
After his freshman year at BYU, he took 2 years off to serve an LDS mission
in Japan. He became fluent in Japanese and occasionally has the opportunity
to use it today.
Dr. Clifton attended medical school at the University of Vermont in Burlington,
Vermont. While there, he had the privilege of working with many Orthopaedic
Surgeons including world renown Dr. Robert Johnson studying ski injuries
on the slopes of Sugarbush Mountain Resort.
Orthopaedic surgery residency took him and his family to Texas Tech University
in Lubbock, Texas. On occasion he worked with the Texas Tech Red Raider
Football program and provided medical coverage on the sidelines. He had
special training in pediatric Orthopaedics at Cook Children's Hospital
in Fort Worth, Texas. He then went on to do an Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
Fellowship at the University of New Mexico where he worked as one of the
team physicians for the UNM Lobo athletes across all sports. Here he was
trained in complex open and arthroscopic procedures of all major joints
of the body in both adult and pediatric athletes. He has also had extensive
training in joint replacement surgery of the shoulder, knee and hip.
Dr. Clifton and his wife, Camille, have 5 children and enjoy the outdoors.
They can be found in the surrounding mountains on any given weekend hiking,
mountain biking, skiing or doing any number of other activities in the
outdoors. If it is raining, there is a good chance you’ll find Dr.
Clifton working in his wood shop where he enjoys building fine cabinetry
and handmade rocking horses.